"Jesse is one of those guys who doesn't even have to try. Every time he sings something it sounds effortlessly beautiful in a longing kind of way. I'm jealous of his talents and definitely a fan." - Brett Detar, Songwriter (The Juliana Theory, Zao)
I was born January 5, 1984, to a Reverend and a church secretary. The time was early, the location Belleville, New Jersey. My father, also a musician, began teaching me piano at 4, and a few years later I was playing and singing hymns in the church.
I learned a lot from dad. The lesson I took closest to heart was a story from his youth.
Sometime around 1968, my father knew an energetic kid named Bruce Springsteen. They were acquainted through the local music scene, and he had gone to one of The Boss’s first apartments to listen to Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks.” He never forgot the inventory: a mattress, some books, and a guitar. My dad, once also a psychoanalyst, interpreted that as a roof over his head, the desire to learn, and something to love. So growing up, he would always remind me, “son, all you need in life is a mattress, some books, and a guitar.”
He was right.
I haven’t had much success as a musician. I’ve been doing this for a long time, trying to put a record out for ten years. Why so long? I’ve been told it’s obsessive-compulsive disorder. I had some opportunities I let slip by, because I thought my other songs sucked.
But finally, I am ready to present to you what I consider to be the only material I’ve composed in 25 years worth releasing to public ears: “The Very Best of Jesse Ian Dunn, 1984 - 2009.” Five songs about love, loss, hate, change, New Jersey, and whatever else is buzzworthy. It was recorded in my apartment next to the mattress, books, and guitar.
Online Now!
